LAN Colombia to be part of oneworld from 1 October

LAN Colombia, a company related to LATAM Airlines Group SA (LAN Airlines), will become an affiliate member of oneworld. LAN Airlines itself has been a full member of oneworld since 2000. All other passenger airline affiliates of LAN Airlines have joined oneworld as affiliate members subsequently – LAN Argentina, LAN Ecuador and LAN Peru – apart from TAM, which will transition to oneworld from Star Alliance in the second quarter of 2014, as announced in March. An exact date for this switch will be announced in due course. TAM's Paraguayan affiliate TAM Mercosur will also become part of oneworld.

This will bring all of the components of Latin America's leading airline group into the same global airline alliance, building on oneworld's position as the first choice airline alliance for frequent international travellers within South America and worldwide.

LAN Colombia will provide its customers, like LAN Airlines and its other affiliates, with the benefits of oneworld partners that include leading airlines from all the other key global regions for business travel. Among them are the number one carriers for travel between South and North America, in American Airlines, and between Latin America and Europe, in Iberia. oneworld's other established members include Europe's airberlin, British Airways, Finnair and S7, Asia-Pacific's Cathay Pacific Airways, Japan Airlines, Malaysia Airlines and Qantas, the Middle East's Royal Jordanian, plus another 30 affiliated airlines.

Through its oneworld partnership with American Airlines, Iberia and British Airways, LAN Colombia will be able to offer its customers the most popular gateways for Latin American travelers, in their Miami, New York, Madrid and London Heathrow hubs.

From its first flights on Tuesday, 1 October 2013, LAN Colombia will offer oneworld's full range of services and benefits.

Its cardholders of the LANPASS frequent flyer programme will enjoy privileges whenever they fly with any oneworld member airline – including the ability to earn and redeem awards and earn tier status points when flying on any oneworld airline partner.

LANPASS Comodoro and Comodoro Black cardholders have Emerald status in the oneworld programme. LANPASS Premium Silver are equivalent to oneworld Sapphire and LANPASS Premium are oneworld Ruby. This entitles them to special privileges when travelling on any oneworld partner, including access to Business Class check-in and, when offered, pre-reserved and preferred seating, and priority on waitlists and on standby when flights are full.

In addition, oneworld Sapphire cardholders (LANPASS Premium Silver) have access to oneworld's network of hundreds of Business Class lounges on departure and priority boarding. On top of that, oneworld Emeralds (LANPASS Comodoro and Comodoro Black) have access to First Class check-in and lounges and to fast tracks through security at selected airports plus an additional baggage allowance.

Also from 1 October, the 130 million members of the other oneworld airlines' frequent flyer programmes will be able to earn and redeem awards and tier status points and receive all other oneworld benefits on LAN Colombia.

LAN Colombia's network will from 1 October be covered by oneworld's full and extensive range of alliance fares and sales products, including its oneworld Explorer round-the-world fare and its Visit South America pass.

Three of oneworld's existing members – American, Iberia and LAN – already serve three destinations in Colombia, in Bogota, Cali and Medellin. LAN Colombia will add a further 18 destinations in its home country to the oneworld map.

With the other airlines lining up to join oneworld in the coming months, this will expand the alliance's network to almost a thousand destinations in more than 150 countries served by a combined fleet of 3,300 aircraft operating 14,000 daily departures, carrying 480 million passengers a year and generating annual revenues of US$ 140 billion.

Since its launch in December 2011, LAN Colombia has quickly established itself as the second biggest airline in South America's second largest economy. In total, LAN Colombia serves 23 airports in three countries with a fleet of 24 aircraft - Boeing 767s and 737s, Airbus A320s and Bombardier DASH-8-200s - operating 130 departures a day. It boarded 3.7 million passengers in 2012.

LAN Colombia's Corporate Affairs Director Maria Lara said: "LAN Colombia is very proud to be joining oneworld. For our company, it represents a significant milestone. For our country, it will significantly improve our access to the rest of the world, helping attract more business visitors and tourists, enabling Colombians to reach more of the world's most important business centres worldwide and making it easier to travel the world from any of the destinations we serve throughout Colombia."

oneworld's CEO Bruce Ashby stated: "We very much look forward to welcoming LAN Colombia on board, as the newest oneworld affiliate member of the LAN group and alongside the other LAN airlines that have been such valuable partners for oneworld for many years. Its addition – ahead of TAM's transition to our alliance next year - will further strengthen oneworld's long-standing position as the leading alliance serving Latin America and makes oneworld an even more attractive proposition for frequent international travellers the world over. "

About LATAM Airlines Group SA

LATAM Airlines Group SA is the new name given to LAN Airlines SA as a result of its association with TAM SA. LATAM Airlines Group SA now includes LAN Airlines and its affiliates in Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru, and LAN Cargo and its affiliates, as well as TAM SA and its subsidiaries TAM Linhas Aereas SA, including its business units TAM Transportes Aereos del Mercosur SA (TAM Airlines (Paraguay)) and Multiplus SA. This association creates one of the largest airline groups in the world in terms of network connections, providing passenger transport services to about 135 destinations in 22 countries and cargo services to about 144 destinations in 27 countries, with a fleet of 336 aircraft. In total, LATAM Airlines Group SA has more than 53.000 employees and its shares are traded in Santiago, as well as on the New York Stock Exchange, in the form of ADRs, and Sao Paulo Stock Exchange, in the form of BDRs. Each airline will continue to operate under their current brands and identities.

LAN Airlines was recently named Best Airline South America in Skytrax's 2013 World Airline Awards and the Leading Airline in South America 2013 in the World Travel Awards

About oneworld

oneworld is an alliance of the world's leading airlines committed to providing the highest level of service and convenience to frequent international travellers. oneworld member airlines work together to deliver consistently a superior, seamless travel experience, with special privileges and rewards for frequent flyers, including earning and redeeming miles and points across the entire alliance network.

oneworld is current holder of five of the leading international awards for airline alliances – in Skytrax's 2013 World Airline Awards, Global Traveler's GT Tested Reader Survey 2012 Awards for the third year running, World Travel Awards 2012 for the 10th consecutive year, Australian Business Traveller 2012 for the second year running, and the 2012 debut alliance Flight Stats On-Time Performance Award